Hopes and Disappointments
by link6590
Summary: When someone dies in a yokai family, everything is inheirited.
1. Chapter 1

(Disclaimers: I do no own Inuyasha (runs away with fluffy)

Kagome sighed as she sat on a rock by a stream, resting her aching legs after riding on Inuyasha for a day straight without rest. She looked up into the bright sunny sky pushing a lock of long black hair away from her face, silently wishing for some rest. They were supposed to flank Naraku who was retreating towards the Forrest of Inuyasha. Their plan was to have Kikyo, Sango, Shippo, and Miroku chase Naraku while Sesshoumaru would slowly close in around the left flank and she and Inuyasha would close in from the right. It was all going well except for the fact that Naraku was running faster then a coward. He looked at Inuyasha with loving brown eyes, as he looked back at her. His soft amber eyes caressed her body. His while hair tussled in the wind. His doggy ears twitched at the slightest sound and move. His red kimono and Sashinuki Hakama hung loosely around his body. Their relationship with each other had intensified the last few days, through many ways. She patted out her white shirt and green mini skirt and fixed her wide green collar, wiping away invisible dust. She reached down to grab a dandelion at by her black sandal-like shoes. She noticed a small tear in her half knee high socks, most likely a random branch that did the damage.

She looked around, seeing the familiar blue bolts of Sesshoumaru's Dragon Strike coming from the sky in the distance above the trees. Inuyasha looked up too, after hearing a loud boom that echoed through the forest, scaring many birds from their nest in a squawking frenzy. Without a word she hopped back into Inuyasha's back, Inuyasha headed back off in Sesshoumaru's direction not a second later. They were closer now, the roar of another Dragon Strike booming through the forest with increased intensity.

Inuyasha stopped suddenly, nearly throwing his passenger off. She looked up, just in time to see Kagura unleash a Dance of Blade attack, with an abnormally large amount of blades in the attack. She jumped off Inuyasha as he pulled out Tetseiga, unleashing a Bakuryuha, firing the power of Kagura's attack plus the power of a Wind Scar back at her. Kagome ducked as Inuyasha failed to block a couple of the blades, which now were headed towards the trees behind her. She prepared for the impact and the splinters that would sure to follow, but felt nothing. Instead she heard the booming explosion of the Bakuryuha as Kagura disintegrated into the afterlife. She turned around looking into the trees behind her. She was somewhat surprised to see that the blades had not done even a scratch to the bark.

_They were empty? _

"Kagome lets go..." Inuyasha beckoned her as he too joined the battle with Sesshoumaru. She heard the bushes behind her shake, causing her to turn around. She had an arrow already to her string. She loosened up, seeing that it was the rest of the group riding on Kirara. The huge cat stopped as it saw Kagome. Sango jumped off first, dressed in her black and pink exterminator outfit her long black hair tossed around her from the wind being made from the battle, Miroku in his usual purple monk robes which flapped in the wind, his short black hair tussled in the wind, his staff jingling too as he got off. Shippo was in her tan vest and sea blue under-kimono, brown hair covered with a funny camouflage of sticks and mud, and lastly Kikyo in her red kimono and white long skirt. Her hair stood in place, unaffected by the wind. They each ran towards the battle which just seemed to intensify as each one touched the ground. The sound of a Wind Scar and a Dragon Strike shook the ground underneath her, almost causing her to fall. Kirara took one last look at Sango before flying off in the opposite direction.

Kagome ran up to Sango asking, "Where is Kirara going?"

Sango replied immediately, her Hiraikotsu returning to her as she spoke. "She is tending to her babies."

Kagome nodded and ducked seconds later as a huge tentacle from a Naraku puppet shot at her. It was easily taken care of with the pull of a string.

(Several hours later)

The day soon turned into night as the battle raged on. The tides of battle shifted so much through out the course of the battle, that it was unclear what the outcome would be. Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and Naraku were the only ones able to stand up. Shippo was somewhere in the tree branches unconscious after a small invasion of Shippo clones. Sango laid unconscious at the edge of the newly made battle scarred clearing, a hastily placed dressing on her stomach, slowing the flow of blood. Miroku was pinned to a tree by a spike through the stomach, unconscious from the pain. With no one able to cut him down that was not currently engaged with Naraku, it seemed that he would be pinned a while longer. Inuyasha lay near the center of the clearing with his neck bent at a sickening angle. Kikyo's ashes were scattered to the winds along with all of Naraku's offspring.

Now Kagome's last arrow sped through the night, barely missing Sesshoumaru himself who was too tired and focused on Naraku. The arrow impaled itself upon Naraku. Nothing happened for a second holding her breath. Then suddenly Naraku shouted out of pain as he slowly started disintegrating, slowly being consumed by the all of the purifying power Kagome has placed in that last arrow. The demons that Naraku absorbed shot straight up into the night sky, happy to be out of their prison. Naraku then exploded in a fury of colors, seeming to ripple the air from the magnitude of the explosion. Everything went white as Kagome lost conscious.

Kagome awoke the very next morning. She looked around where she vividly recalled yesterday's events. _Sesshoumaru, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kikyo...Inuyasha..._ Upon remembering what happened to the hanyou, she frantically got up only to be pushed back down by Sesshoumaru, who she didn't realize was standing over her.

"Where's Inuyasha," Kagome barely got out saying. She didn't realize how tired she was.

Sesshoumaru's face darkened when she asked the question.

Noticing the look on Sesshoumaru's usually calm and impassive face, she feared the worst. She got up and grabbed Sesshoumaru by his kimono.

"Where's Inuyasha," she repeated again. He voice faltered, not really wanting to hear what she would most undesirability wanted, but her love for the hanyou was too great.

"He's dead," Sesshoumaru said in a low whisper.

Kagome's legs suddenly turned to rubber. Her heart felt crushed by a hammer. Just to make sure that it wasn't a cruel trick that Sesshoumaru was trying to pull, she asked again.

"Whe...Where's Inu...Yasha," she asked again, this time choking on her tears that were slowly forming in her eyes.

This time Sesshoumaru just pointed to where Inuyasha's body laid. Inuyasha looked still enough, but it was too still. Kagome got up and ran besides the deadly still figure. She put her ears to Inuyasha's chest. She was half expecting for Inuyasha to just pop up and scare her. She wished he would have done it. As Kagome slowly placed her head on his chest, terror struck her. He was extremely cold. She didn't feel the reassuring heart beat, the slow rising and falling of his chest. There was nothing. She tried to get up but she fell down almost instantly. Her legs were unable to support her. She held the hanyou's still lifeless head in her arms.

"Sesshoumaru!" She shouted out of anguish. "Use your Tenseiga on him," she pleaded. Sesshoumaru slowly got up after tending to Sango, and walked slowly over to where Kagome and his dead brother were.

He said in a low whisper, trying not to wake anyone else up, "I can't, I've already tried a hundred times. Its not working...He was dead for too long."

"But you revived Sango, Miroku and the others with it!" She couldn't let the cold, hard truth settle into her. She looked over to where the rest laid. Their chests slowly rose up and down in the morning sun.

"They were different. They didn't die, they just suffered deadly injuries. They weren't dead for a long time like Inuyasha."

"But you took Rin back from the dead!" She shouted, still unable to let the truth settle in.

"She was different. I revived her the moment she died."

"No... No... NO!" She screamed...

(Sorry that I couldn't do the whole fight scene but it was A LOT to describe and I got lazy ( -.-)( -.-)( -.-)( -.-) (-.-) (-.- )(-.- )(-.- )(-.- ) (anyways plz review and post comment and I'll put the next chapter shortly, flames accepted))


	2. Chapter 2

"No... No... NO!" She screamed...

Sesshoumaru just stared at Kagome. He walked back to sit down in his spot when Rin came into the clearing.

"Rin stop it that instant, Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't be pleased to find that you've been following him," the familiar voice of Sesshoumaru's servant followed her. Jaken looked around as he cleared the forest line and yelped as he spotted Sesshoumaru. "Ahh! Master Sesshoumaru! It wasn't Jaken's fault Rin followed you here!"

Sesshoumaru put on his clam, stone, impassive face and spoke coolly," Jaken come over here."

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Jaken forced Rin here!" Rin said playfully.

Miroku finally woke up from the commotion that was going on. He sat up right, looking at the scene before him. Sesshoumaru was listening to Jaken and Rin tell lies about who forced who to where. Then he saw Inuyasha and Kagome, to what looked like a passionate embrace. But upon closer inspection, the monk noticed that Inuyasha wasn't hugging back. Actually it didn't even appear like he was moving. He figured he would leave the two alone. Sesshoumaru slowly got up, and walked over to where Kagome was sitting.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm here," Sesshoumaru said reassuringly.

Kagome didn't even look up. "Just go away... Please."

"I'm just telling you, because brother died, all of his stuff belongs to me."

"Is that what you only care about! Your dam father's sword!" She got up and slapped Sesshoumaru hard on his face with her right hand. The sound resounded through the forest.

Everyone was shocked on what she just did. Sesshoumaru was shocked too, although he didn't show it. He just pushed Kagome into the nearest tree, which was about 10 feet away, in one hard push. She hit the tree in a resounding thud. She was about the scream when Sesshoumaru's hand wrapped around Kagome's neck and silenced her attempt.

"I guess you don't understand me." His voice didn't change, but the tone of his voice and the way he said it sent chills up her spine. "ALL of his stuff belongs to me now. I know his seed is inside of you."

"...What... No...Umm I ...Why do you care anyways! Its bad enough that he just died!" She started sobbing again, a few tears coming down her cheeks.

Sesshoumaru let go of the miko, letting her slump to the floor in her sadness. "I care that I follow the tradition held by any yokai family."

Rin and Jaken returned to their fighting after Rin dropped a fairly sized rock on the lowly servant. Miroku slowly got up and looked at the demon slayer that was sleeping besides him. He looked back at Sesshoumaru and Kagome. Just by looking at him, he could feel the silent growing tension between the two, almost how Kagome and Inuyasha first met. It sang through his mind that the hanyou was no longer part of this world. He felt a grief for Kagome, knowing how much they felt for each other. He looked back upon the demon slayer, who was still peaceful in her little sleep. Before he knew it, he felt his hand rub against her right breast.Before he knew it, he felt a hard hand slap on her face with a sound that echoed through the forest, awaking many birds from their nightly slumber.

"Grr monk..." Sango sat upright, touching her breast lightly, always silently hoping that the monk could do more to her.

"Old habits die hard." He monk smiled back at Sango, watching the tension in her face disappear slowly. He looked over to Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

"Come on... Let's go..." Sesshoumaru looked impassively on the miko who was reduced to weeping mess.

"I have a name you know..." Kagome's soft voice barely was audible to anyone else around them.

"Further more, you shall address me as Sesshoumaru-sama, like all my servants do. Lets go, I have a land to control..."

Kagome got up abruptly, irritated at the demon. She walked pass him, not even giving him a passing glance as she walked over to her other friends.

Sesshoumaru sighed silently. He turned around as he followed the girl.

"Stop following me," she said to Sesshoumaru. She sat down with Sango, feeling the tears build up behind her eyes again.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked, not aware of anything that just happened.

"San... Sango..." Kagome couldn't find the words, not wanting to accept the truth.

"Sango... Inuyasha is dead..." The monk had to speak for her.

"Oh my kami!" Sango blurted out. "Kagome, you're alright?" Her hand slowly patted the troubled girl on her back.

"It's alright Kagome," he said as he gave her a hug, rubbing her butt in the process. He was soon rubbing his head again as Sango's boomerang made contact to his skull.

The wind suddenly picked up; the clouds above them thickened and darkened, blotting out the sun.

"Great," Sesshoumaru said as he noticed the abrupt change and the awful smell that approached. The sounds in the forest abruptly stopped, leaving only the sounds of Kagome's weeping. Rin and Jaken drew closer to Sesshoumaru, Jaken holding his Staff of Heads closely to him.

Kagome stopped sobbing, noticing something was wrong. The forest and the sky were suddenly flooded with demons, covering every space available to them. With no pause the demons hurled themselves at the battle weary group

"These are the demons that Naraku absorbed..." Sesshoumaru noted.

The monk appeared to say something but his voice was drowned out by the ear screeching shouts of the hundreds of demons.

Kagome noticed Shippo still unconscious on the ground and went to go get him. He was held back by Sesshoumaru.

"No... It's too late..." His impassive face looked upon the miko, her face lined with tear marks.

"Let go!" She struggled out from his grasp and started running towards the unconscious kitsune.

"Wind tunnel!" The monk's cry was heard above the roar of demons. It hit him that he no longer had the destructive hole in his hand. Sango passed his staff to him, knowing the monk would forget.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango shouted as she threw boomerang, tearing through the demons, bringing destruction where it went.

Kagome finally reached Shippo, who was waking up to the noisy racket. "Are Kagome and Inuyasha fighting again...?" The kitsune first words were as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Kagome embraced her child, fearing she would lose another loved one.

She looked up to see a demon with green saliva oozing from its nostrils ready to bring down its abnormally large hands on her. She dropped the fox and brought up her hands to shield herself.

The blow never came and when she opened her eyes, a large gash had appeared across the demon. A feeling of pain spread across its face as it slowly disintegrated into nothing.

Sesshoumaru came into view and picked Kagome up. Shippo noticed what was going around them and latched into Kagome's hair as Sesshoumaru carried her back. Kagome didn't even know how Sesshoumaru managed to carry her and repel the demons that were coming after her at the same time with only one arm.

Sango and Miroku backs were together, most of the demons were still intact formed a tight circle around the demon slayer and monk, who were tiring out extremely quickly. Sesshoumaru dropped Kagome with them.

He drew out his Toukijin coolly, like the whole fight wasn't happening. He held his sword parallel to the wall of demons that had formed at Sango and Miroku. "Dragon strike," he said uninterested. Even before he finished the word blue bolts arched above the humans, destroying everything in it touched as they radiated outwards.

"Wow…" Miroku said as he watched the attack, awe showing on his face.

"Sesshoumaru-sama hasn't even started the attack…" Jaken added in, never being so close to the attack.

The blue bolts suddenly stopped moving away but now all merged together above Sesshoumaru's head. The ball of static surged forward and took the shape of a dragon, which ran a circle around the group and dissipated, along with demons who survived the initial attack.

There was an uneasy silence as Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword. "That wasn't even close to what Naraku absorbed…" The monk finally broke the silence.

"I know..." Sango looked worried.

"Lets go. This Sesshoumaru detests getting covered with this filth." Sesshoumaru started walking west, towards his lands.

"Wait!" Kagome just stood there. "We can at least take Inuyasha with us." She looked at the hanyou who she care for and loved so much.

Sango's, Miroku's, and Shippo's faces darkened knowing that a fight was about to follow her orders.

"Did you hear me?" Kagome just looked at Sesshoumaru, still walking away. "Ignorant pup!" She grabbed her bow on the floor. She notched an arrow and fired it at Sesshoumaru a second later. The arrow sped through the forest lighting the way with the miko's power. It passed by Sesshoumaru by a hair. Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, his attention finally caught.

Kagome had to make sure she even did that. A rush of anger took over her and the next thing she knew, an arrow sped by Sesshoumaru. There was an eerie silence in the forest. Sesshoumaru turned around; his eyes seemed blood-shot for a second.

Her two friends beside her had their weapons ready, but they knew if he attacked, they would be overwhelmed. He started walking towards the three, which became four as Shippo forced himself in front of Kagome.

Sesshoumaru kept on walking until he was about one good stride away from the group. Rin and Jaken were behind a tree behind Sesshoumaru. Kirara descended into the clearing that was away previously tending for her litter. Sesshoumaru strode towards Inuyasha and lifted him into Kirara's back.

The tension from the group subsided as he did this. Sango ran towards the now feline Kirara. Sesshoumaru glared at Kagome, anger burning in his eyes. It quickly disappeared to his impassive face again. "Let's go..." Sesshoumaru ended the tension, walking into the forest, everyone following with out any problems.


	3. Chapter 3

(Disclaimers: No I do not own Inuyasha (looks at men in black approaching house) or fluffy :( )

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru angrily, yet with a touch of nervousness. They had been walking in the forest for about two days now, all going on with minor delays. The sun was directly above, shinning brightly through the cloud speckled sky. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo stayed with her for her protection from the lord of fluffy, who walking ahead of everyone along with Rin and Jaken. Other then that, they could have left days ago. With the defeat of Naraku and the death of Inuyasha, there was nothing left for her to stay in the Feudal Era. Other then Shippo that is but she could have always brought the kitsune with her. She looked at Sesshoumaru intently. He had kept silent ever since she asked to bring Inuyasha's body along. The body was still with them but it was kept far behind her with Sango and Miroku protecting it. It was puzzling her why Sesshoumaru would even think of taking her along. She was just another mortal to him. She sighed loudly as the heavy silence dragged on, broken only by the soft footsteps on the soil and the occasional branch underfoot or the curiosity of Rin. A

cold wind blew in the summer's warmth. Kagome shivered as the cold breeze touched her skin. She was suddenly reminded of Inuyasha as the cold wind chilled her to the heart. She collapsed on the ground in a miserable heap crying.

"Get up." She felt a light tap on her shoulders coming from an undistinguished voice.

Kagome looked up. She was surprised for a moment. "Inuyasha?" Through her tears, she saw the image of her loved one standing above her. His soft amber eyes looked at her, into her passionately. As she blinked, the person in front of her suddenly changed. It stared back with cold eyes, piercing deep inside of her with no emotion at all. She looked away from Sesshoumaru wiping her tears away.

"I'm..."She paused as she sniffled." I'm sorry to hold you up…" She slowly got up on her own. She looked up, finding that Sesshoumaru had disappeared. She looked around, only to find him already heading off into the same direction as before, his two servants following faithfully. She couldn't see what they saw in him. She sniffled again, wiping away her last tear. Picking up her bow, she started following Sesshoumaru again.

Kagome looked at the sky, slowly but surely turning into a mixture of pink, orange and other warm colors. She looked ahead again following Sesshoumaru. She stopped as Sesshoumaru disappeared into nothing, Rin and Jaken doing the same moments later. She ran after them, stopping where they disappeared. She noticed the air becoming heavier and a small fog developed. She took a few steps forward, the sounds of the forest becoming muffled and the air becoming hazier. She walked a few more feet forward when she found her legs to weak to go on and almost impossible to see. She turned to go back when suddenly a hand appeared at her shoulder. She screamed but was shocked to find that almost no sound came out, other then a small peep. She turned around, seeing it was Sesshoumaru's hand. Without any warning he grabbed her by the arm, dragging her in the direction she was heading. Suddenly the weight on her disappeared. She looked around, noticing the fog had disappeared when she was being dragged. Sesshoumaru let go of her arm as he kept moving forward; the trees started thinning out.

She followed him. "Sesshoumaru wher.." She stopped in mid sentence as she looked amazed at a large Japanese style wall made of stone. But it wasn't the walls that amazed her; it was the large Japanese castle behind it. Just glancing she estimated it to be around six floors, each floor collapsing inwards. The space between the edge of the first floor to the next provided the floor with a large balcony.

She spotted Rin and Jaken standing before a set of giant double doors, the wood looking like a sort of mahogany. As Sesshoumaru approached it, it swung open noiselessly. As she approached the fragrance of flowers reached her nose. She was greeted with many servants as she entered, both human and toads much like Jaken. They all bowed as Sesshoumaru passed them. She looked around, examining the beauty of the castle. The outer court yard was basically a large garden that stretched around the castle. Stone pathways branched off the main entrance path, snaking through the garden with the occasional stone bench appearing now and then. Numerous gardeners were tending to the gardens, all talking to the other servants around them. She was about to start on one of the paths before Jaken stopped her.

"You're supposed to follow Sesshoumaru-sama!" The servant said with a squawk, poking Kagome in the back with his staff.

Not wanting to complain against him, she ran after Sesshoumaru. She caught up with him as they into a sort of large foyer with five hallways leading into the castle, Sesshoumaru walking into the nearest hallway. Statues of obviously important people lined the walls, with large portraits hanging behind them. All of the decorations in the room had a close resemblance to Sesshoumaru himself. She looked around amazed. She noticed that she lost Sesshoumaru, again. She sighed as he ran through the hallway that Sesshoumaru took. The hallway was lined with artwork and Japanese happiness scrolls. Standing at the edge of the hall was Sesshoumaru. She looked down at the ground, but she still felt his cold eyes staring at her with no emotion. She brought her head back up when she was an arm length away from the lord of fluff.

"Your room is this one, right next to mine." He pointed to hers then his. "And when your friends arrive, they shall sleep here." Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome, almost looking like he was checking her out. "First, get out of those garments; they make you look like a prostitute. Your clothes are already in your room."

Without a comment she nodded in agreement.

She walked slowly into her room. She looked around in amazement. It was indeed a feminine room. So large also.

She explored the room, her fingers tracing along anything around her. A table in the middle of the room, a desk at one side of the room, a giant mahogany dresser on to the right of her queen sized bed with a canopy, and on the left a large floor mirror. She looked oddly at the bed, not the usual Japanese style but like one of her modern beds. All the wood around seemed to be different, but mahogany was the main one. The walls were dotted with scrolls with good luck sayings in Japanese, three windows and a sliding paper door, all paths to the outer garden outside. See looked again at the bed, noticing the clothes that Sesshoumaru mentioned earlier.

She walked up to the foot of the bed, picking up the kimono as she reached it. It was made of black silk, giving off a shinny glare. She touched the design at the left side of kimono, a cherry blossom branch that was dropping its pedals all over the kimono. She touched the sleeves, touching the small dots on the kimono, most likely representing stars. A cresset moon caught her eye at the right shoulder. She turned around and looked around the room, just to make sure no one was there. She took off her blouse but left on her bra. She slipped out of her skirt, toeing off the skirt under the bed. She put on the kimono, a cool weightless feeling on her shoulders now. She looked around the bed and found a wide obi, wrapped it around her, and tied it in the back with a little difficulty.

She went up to the mirror by the bed and examined herself. The kimono really suited her though. Satisfied she fixed the mess on top of the bed. She moved all her old clothes into the dresser. As she opened it, she noticed more kimono's all with a different design and all seemed more beautiful then the last, although the one she had on was the best. She threw the clothes in lazily all at once. She closed the dresser, and looked around the room again. She noticed some wooden sandals across the room, right next to the door. A sudden loud knock came from the door, scaring a small meep out of her.

She walked to the door and was about to open it when it opened by itself slowly. Sesshoumaru stood there, his face blank as always. He took a step into the room. "Your friends arrived. Your mortal food shall be prepared when they are settled down. As for you…" He paused as his eyes scanned her body with a quick glance. "Go greet your guests."

Kagome looked down at the floor as she nodded in agreement.

Satisfied, Sesshoumaru walked out, heading towards the large foyer. She did not do anything for a minute, waiting for him to be out of sight. She peered into the hall, happy to see Sesshoumaru was gone. She went straight into the door across from hers unannounced. Sango, Shippo, and Miroku looked up, expecting Sesshoumaru. She stepped inside, then shutting the door behind her.

"Kagome!" Shippo shouted with glee as he jumped on Kagome, hugging her kimono covered legs. "Wow, Kagome, you look pretty in that."

Sango too greeted her with a hug. "How long are you go…"

Kagome finished her sentence. "ing to say here? Not another second. C'mon, while Sesshoumaru isn't here."

Miroku spoke up against her. "No you should stay and…"

"No!" She suddenly burst. "I won't stay here with him. We're going to go bury Inuyasha by Kikyo's ashes… It's only right."

Kagome opened to door again, checking for anyone in the hall. Not seeing anyone she walked over to her room, signaling the rest of the group to follow. Sango and Miroku carried Inuyasha, a cloth covering him, while Shippo stayed close to Kagome. They went into Kagome's room easily. Kagome grabbed her bow and quiver, but left her old clothes where they were, only taking her shoes. She opened the door leading to the courtyard slowly, looking for other people as she opened it. Surprisingly she saw no one. Just her luck across the garden was some stairs leading to the top of the outer walls. She took a step out. Her heart started pounding, knowing if they were caught, a severe punishment would follow. _Thump_ Fifty steps until they reached the steps. _Thump_ Forty steps, the rest of the group started out too. _Thump_ Thirty steps still left. She quickened her pace slightly. _Thump_ Ten steps left…

(Weird, I should be meanier to Kag... Sure next next chapter then. Anyways thanks for the reviews (even though its only 3)(no i'm not greedy!)) I'll have the next chapter up as soon as i get more reviews, flames welcomed)


	4. Chapter 4

Kagome reached the stairs surprisingly. She made her way to the top of the wall, trying to make as little sound as possible. She was surprised to find a tree so close to the castle. There was no one around still but it was only a matter of time. Sango and Miroku and her kitsune finally caught up to her panting.

"You ran pretty fast there." Miroku said a little out of breath, adjusting the hold on Inuyasha's body

Shippo added, "Yea we thought you were going to go through the walls."

Kagome wasn't listening fully as she tried to find a stable branch to take her friends across. She found a nice, sturdy one and stepped on it cautiously. As she went further on the branch, she found several other branches spiraling down to the ground, like a natural staircase. It was all too easy, looking back to make sure Sesshoumaru was not behind them but still saw no one else besides her friends who were slowly catching up to her. She skipped the last two steps as she jumped onto the soft grasses below. She put her sandals on waiting for her friends to catch up to her. As soon as Shippo touched the ground, Kagome was already disappearing into the forest.

She felt the heavy feeling again as she walked on further. She suddenly feared that she couldn't make it to the end and would have the dishonor of being found by Sesshoumaru. She pushed herself, her legs becoming heavy with the rest of her body. Suddenly the feeling disappeared, the sounds of the forest coming back in its place. The barrier seemed thinner then when she entered though. It was too easy. She looked around, to make sure Sesshoumaru wasn't playing games with her. She heard the rustle of some bushes behind her. Her hand was at her bow as she spun around but was relieved to find a squirrel running into a nearby tree.

"Watcha looking for?" Shippo suddenly appeared besides her, looking up at her curiously.

Her heart skipped a beat when Shippo came out of no where. "Nothing Shippo…" He hesitantly turned her back on the direction of the castle before picking the kitsune up. He didn't realize how much energy she used to get past the barrier, her arms and legs suddenly feeling the stress of the small journey.

Sango's voice suddenly reached her. "C'mon Kagome, we don't want Sesshoumaru to find that we left when we are still so close!" Kagome looked in the direction of Sango's voice. She appeared right in front of her out of no where. The looks of a hard crossing also showed on her face. Miroku came seconds after her along with a burdened Kirara. She glanced at the load for a second before looking away, pushing the thought to the side for the meanwhile.

"Come on lets go," she said, "Before Sesshoumaru finds out we are missing."

Shippo turned into his balloon form but a smaller version to fly low. Kagome got on as Sango and Miroku got on Kirara. Without a second to spare they were off. It was a race against time to reach Kaede's village before Sesshoumaru found out they were missing. She hopefully wished that Sesshoumaru couldn't follow her through the well once they buried Inuyasha.

It was well into nighttime before they reached the village. They walked into Kaede's hut, seeing a fire going on inside. Kirara curled up beside the hut, still carrying Inuyasha's body.

"Hi Kaede-san," Miroku, Kagome, Shippo and Sango said as they entered subsequently.

Kaede looked up from her pot that was hanging over the fire. "Oh, what are ye doing here? Are ye not after Naraku still?"

Miroku and Sango sat down cross legged style while Kagome sat down, hugging her legs. Shippo looked between Kagome and Sango and slowly sat down by Sango.

Sango looked at her, remembering that it was only three days ago. "Kaede, Naraku is dead," she said.

"Oh, how did it go then? … Wait where is Inuyasha?" Kaede said, noticing the hanyou wasn't present.

Kagome looked down, burying her face in her legs as she heard the word. The hut remained quiet with the exception of the flickering fire. Kaede realized what happened, the thought showed across her face with shock then with sadness.

"Oh I am sorry Kagome, I did not know…" Kaede said with remorse. She got up slowly and walked outside, throwing Sango and Miroku a look to follow. Miroku and Sango obeyed with a curious little kitsune following them through the door. Kagome stayed inside, the sounds of muffled sobs coming from her hunched form.

The night was nicely lit by a full moon. "Where will ye bury Inuyasha's body?" Kaede asked a few huts from her hut.

"I don't know, we've been avoid the subject," Sango said.

Miroku scratched his head, thinking of a suitable spot to bury his friend. "Maybe we should bury him under the great tree…"

"No, we are going to bury him with Kikyo's ashes," Kagome said as she appeared from behind a hut right next to them. She wiped at her eyes with her hands as she walked into the somewhat startled group.

Miroku spoke up, "Kagome, we can explain, we didn't wan…"

"It's alright Miroku," Kagome interrupted.

"Did ye say with Kikyo's ashes Kagome?" Kaede asked puzzled.

"Yea… We talked to each other while we were chasing Naraku… He said if something… something… happened to him…" She stopped in mid sentence, unable to keep her tears back anymore. She collapsed to the floor, all her strength gone as she passed out.

Miroku and Sango shot a worried look towards each other. Without a word they helped each other carry Kagome into Kaede's hut.


	5. Chapter 5

(Disclaimers: HAHHA I OWN INUYASHA NOW!(gets taken away in a straight jacket))

Kagome woke up the next day a poking feeling around her stomach. She tried to push the feeling away when the pokes got a little harder. She could vaguely hear her name being called out. She opened her eyes, the nuisance coming into focus.

"Kagome, your awake!" Shippo shouted with a sound of accomplishment in his voice.

"What's wrong Shippo?" She said, sleep still in her voice.

"C'mon they are going to start burying Inuyasha," Shippo said urgently with a touch of sadness, tears already forming in his eyes.

Kagome shot up at the hearing of Inuyasha's name. "Already!" she said franticly. She got up, Shippo already out the door. She followed Shippo silently. She felt some invisible weights in her legs with each step she took. They slowly made it through the village, finally reaching Kikyo's shrine. A small crowd had gathered there. A villager noticed Kagome and recognized her. Suddenly the whole group parted the way. She walked through, a feeling of numbness and unawareness seemed to hit her as she walked on. A familiar voice brought her out of her trance.

"Kagome?" Sango's face came out from the dark haze.

"Did you bury Inuyasha yet?" Kagome said half aware.

"No Kagome, we thought you should cast the first pile," Miroku said besides her.

She was handed a shovel and with much effort, she dug up a pile of dirt and threw it on a red kimono covered Inuyasha, but not his fire rat robe. Sango and Miroku suddenly had their own shovels and started filling up the hole slowly. Before she knew it, it was all done. She couldn't cry anymore, all her tears used up. There was a hallow feeling in her, her heart aching.

Kagome stood there as the crowd of villagers started thinning out. Soon only she Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede were left in front of the newly built shrine. Kagome suddenly reached down, her hands running through the grave dirt. Without noticing what she was doing, she drew the Japanese symbols of life and love in the dirt. She looked up, now fully aware of what was going on. Miroku was hugging a crying Sango as tears appeared cross his face. Shippo was crying in a heap, head buried in his little lands. Kaede just looked solemnly on the scene before her.

"Kagome, there are some hot springs nearby." Kaede suddenly said. "Ye might want to use them before you go back to your own time."

Kagome looked at her oddly but the advice seemed good right now.

"Thank you Kaede-san. The heat could help relax me," Kagome said. She thought something seemed odd about this though. "Um Kaede-san, I never seen hot springs around here," Kagome said doubtfully.

"It suddenly appeared right after the destruction of Mount Hakurei," Kaede said readily. "It is just a few ways into the forest that way," Kaede pointed into the forest behind her.

"Thank you again," Kagome bowed before she walked into the forest.

She found the hot springs just like Kaede said. She sighed loudly, feeling the warmth of the rocks under her. She was about to untie her obi when she noticed something wrong.

She had no time to react as she felt the earth under her disappear as a whip like cloth raised her into the air, then into a tree. Kagome opened her eyes as the cloth around her tightened slightly. The whip seemed to be the same thing draped over Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"Mortals are so rude, not even inviting someone's brother to their burial," Sesshoumaru said uninterestedly.

"What do you…" Kagome couldn't finish her thought as Sesshoumaru pulled the whip into the water, Kagome still in it. It seemed forever under the water and by the time she was let up she found herself vomiting all the excess water out.

"Call me Sesshoumaru-sama," Sesshoumaru said in a bored.

"Why don't you," she was about to say but she stopped as the whip tightened around her again and began to pull her underwater again. "Sess…" She couldn't say anything else as the hot water filled her throat again.

"What was that mortal?" Sesshoumaru said as he loosened the mokomoko around her.

Kagome bobbled up to the surface, catching her breath in between sobs. "Please stop Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried

The beginnings of a smile poked at the corners of Sesshoumaru's mouth. Just this small act sent a spike of fear down Kagome's spine. The mokomoko released the hold on her. Sesshoumaru took the cloth and laid it on a flat rock besides him to dry.

"Enjoy your bath, I'll be back when your done," Sesshoumaru said before disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

Kagome just floated there, just watching him leave so abruptly like nothing happened. She was tempted to make a break for it and run to Sango and Miroku but another part of her told herself it was useless.

"Why me Sesshoumaru," she asked herself out loud. She got undressed underwater and placed her clothes to dry near Sesshoumaru's mokomoko. The encounter with the whip left blue and red bruises all over her body. She poked at one curiously and flinched. She sighed deeply, trying to enjoy the water while keeping the thought of a certain lord of fluff away from her mind.

The bushes behind her rustled, making her jump involuntarily. "Kagome, Lady…" Sango stopped, looking at Kagome's bruised body. Her eyes caught sight of Sesshoumaru's mokomoko. "Did Sesshoumaru just…"

Kagome suddenly broke down as she turned to face Sango. "Sango! Sesshoumaru…"

"Kagome what happened!" Sango stripped off her clothes, jumping into the water with Kagome. Sango hugged the battered girl before realizing she had never been so close to someone before. She pushed away blushing, looking for the same reaction from Kagome.

Kagome did not seem to notice but just retold what just happened. As Kagome finished her sentence, there was an uneasy silence.

"Well that's a relief," Sango finally said in an attempt to break the silence. "Oh no not that, I thought he..."

Kagome just looked into Sango's eyes with disbelief. Without warning Kagome started laughing. "You thought he did…" She finished her sentence in laughter.

Sango laughed too, seeing how weird the suspicion was.

(Weird way to end the chapter but I'll go with it (pff, don't think Sesshoumaru was that mean but anyways)(longer? Then I'd have to update less :s))


End file.
